Over the past two decades the number of golf courses in Marrakech has increased, ensuring that golf fans can really benefit from its numerous attractions. With fine weather (the city averages just 59 rainy days a year), stunning scenery and a landscape that lends itself perfectly to exciting, testing courses, it is ideal for a golf holiday.
Marrakech Royal Golf Club
For nearly sixty years, the Marrakech Royal Golf Club was the only course in the city. Designed in 1933, this par 72 has been played by such luminaries as Winston Churchill, General Eisenhower and King Hassan II. While its facilities are fully up to date, the Royal’s prestigious history can be seen everywhere round the course.
Designer: Arnaux Massy (1933)
Holes: Old Course-18/ Menara Course-9
Par: Old Course- 72 (5,937m)/ Menara- 36 (3,072m)
· Bar and restaurant
· Buggy and trolley hire
· Changing facilities
· Driving range and putting green
· Golf lessons available
Getting There: 2km South East of Marrakech centre
WOW FACTOR: An accumulation of famous guests including Winston Churchill, Lloyd George and President Eisenhower
www.royalgolfmarrakech.com/en
PalmGolf Marrakech Palmeraie
It was in 1992 that the first ball was struck on Marrakech’s second course. Taking on Marrakech Palmeraie in the north-east of the city is said to be like playing on a lush desert oasis. Updated in 2009, the back nine of the old course is especially fun with many water hazards to take into account.
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Snr (1992, updated in 2009)
Holes: 27
Par: 36 (on each 9 hole course)
Courses: Jbilettes-3,100m/Atlas-3,100m/Tensift-3,309m
· Bar and restaurant
· Buggy and trolley hire
· Changing facilities
· Driving range and putting green
· Golf lessons available
Getting There: 4km North West of city center on Route des Jardins de la Palmeraie
WOW FACTOR: Like playing on a lush desert oasis
www.palmeraiemarrakech.com/en/golf/
Samanah Golf Course
The Samanah Golf Course is a Nicklaus designed course and, as you’d expect, it’s a high quality experience from start to finish. The clubhouse and the practice facilities are first class, and the course itself is a mix of strategic holes and flowing greens. When you’re standing on the fairway between olive trees and cacti, with the Atlas Mountains in the background, you know you’ll be talking about this course for a long time.
Designer: Nicklaus Design (2008)
Holes: 18
Par: 72
Courses: Black-6,735m/White, 6,342m/Yellow, 6,092m
· Bar and restaurant
· Buggy and trolley hire
· Changing facilities
· Driving range and putting green
· Golf lessons available
Getting There: 6km South of Marrakech on P2009
WOW FACTOR: Desert style course and David Leadbetter golf academy
www.samanah.com
Al Maaden
The Kyle Phillips-designed Al Maaden resort which opened in 2008 is a must for any golfing holiday. Previously a barren piece of land, Phillips has used his famed ingenuity to create a track that rivals any course in Africa and most in Europe and the US . It has everything you’d want in a course: five different tees to start from, fairways with good movement, intelligent water hazards and a lovely risk-and-reward shot on the 18th. Expect to play this course more than once, you won’t be able to resist.
Designer: Kyle Phillips (2010)
Holes: 18
Par: 72
Courses: Black- 6,644m/White-6,342m/Yellow-5,873m
· Bar and restaurant
· Buggy and trolley hire
· Changing facilities
· Driving range and putting green
· Golf lessons available
Getting There: 2km South East of the Medina
WOW FACTOR: Art and golf combined
www.almaaden.com/en/
Assoufid Golf Club
One of the newest courses in the city (opened to guests in 2014), The Assoufid Golf Club has already established itself as a place with unrivalled service. As you’d imagine it has state-of-the-art facilities and the course is cleverly designed to ensure that almost all the fairways run north to south, so you always have views of the nearby Atlas Mountains. This is a self-proclaimed ‘Private Course’.
Designer: Nial Cameron (2014)
Holes: 18
Par: 72 (6,526m)
· Bar and restaurant
· Buggy and trolley hire
· Changing facilities
· Driving range, putting green and short game practice area
· State of the art golf academy
· Golf lessons available
Getting There: 5km South West from Marrakech city centre on the R212
WOW FACTOR: Claiming to be the new top club in Marrakech with unrivalled service
www.assoufid.com
Amelkis Golf Resort
Cabel Robinson’s Amelkis Golf Resort was built in 1995, opposite the Royal Golf Marrakech. With its distinctive kasbah style clubhouse, this is a course that will give you a challenge, especially on the double doglegged par 5 sixth.
Designer: Cabel B. Robinson (1995)
Holes: 27
Par: 36 (For Each 9 hole course)
Courses: Blue- 3,356m/Red- 3301m/green-3415m
· Bar and restaurant
· Buggy and trolley hire
· Changing facilities
· Driving range and putting green
· Golf lessons available
Getting There: 3km South East of the Medina, opposite Royal Golf Marrakech
WOW FACTOR: Kasbah style clubhouse with terrace overlooking Atlas Mountains and course
www.golfamelkis.com/en/
La Noria Golf
La Noria Golf is one of the newest courses in Morocco and has been specifically designed to reflect a traditional south Moroccan village. You’ll play through fields of lavender, olive groves, water features and even a Moroccan bell tower!
Designer: Steve Forrest (2014)
Holes: 18
Par: 72 (6,600m)
· Bar and restaurant
· Buggy and trolley hire
· Changing facilities
· Driving range and putting green
· Golf lessons available
Getting There: 5km South of Marrakech on the R203
WOW FACTOR: A unique course design celebrating Morocco with a mixture of olive orchards, lavender fields, and large water features including a reflecting pool
www.noriagolfclub.com/en/marrakech
PalmGolf Marrakech Ourika
PalmGolf Marrakech Ourika is a sister course to the Palmeraie. Over 70 hectares have been landscaped to create a semi-desert Arizona styled course. 46 bunkers, changes in elevation, water hazards and some jaw-dropping views of the Atlas mountains make this course a fun and memorable one to play.
Designers: Neil Haworth and Stéphane Talbot (2015)
Holes: 18
Par: 72
· Bar and restaurant
· Buggy and trolley hire
· Changing facilities
· Driving range and putting green
· Golf lessons available
Getting There: Just 10 minutes from downtown Marrakech and 15 minutes from the international airport.
WOW FACTOR: 46 bunkers!
http://www.palmgolfmorocco.com/?langue=en
Montgomerie Marrakech
Just five minutes from the centre of Marrakech, this is the city’s newest course. Take a petit taxi here and tee off on the 1st with a fantastic view of the Koutoubia Mosque. There are few water hazards here, leaving carefully contoured greens and fairways to make up the majority of this course. The clubhouse is huge and includes gourmet burger bars, a nightclub and the only ice bar in Africa!
Designer: Colin Montgomerie (2015)
Holes: 18
Par: 71
· Bar and restaurant
· Buggy and trolley hire
· Changing facilities
· Driving range and putting green
· Golf lessons available
Getting There: Just 5 minutes from the heart of Marrakech.
WOW FACTOR: The newest course in Morocco.
http://www.prestigiagolf.com/montgomerie-marrakech-golf/presentation